Safety concerns have again simmered down new year plans. While people, especially women, are now planning house get-togethers, pubs and discs report low footfalls. By Iknoor Kaur
It is the time of the year when most people in the city are busy clearing their schedules and preparing themselves for greeting the new year in style. Parties are being planned, money is being stocked, bookings are being made and restaurateurs are busy preparing for the big bash. Wait! we guess we are still stuck a few years back in time. We forgot that exactly a year back, an incident changed the way Delhiites partied.
Ever since the Nirbhaya gang rape case last year, there has been a cry for change. laws have been implemented, security has been strict and streets are now patrolled, but women — they are still hoping for a safer city. Many have stopped partying the way they used to and are more concerned about their security.
ASSOCHAM’s recent survey states that more number of people will stay off the dance floor this new year’s eve. Almost 35 per cent urbanites are planning to ring-in 2014 staying at home or attending house parties, owing to a plethora of reasons including the lack of safety. “There seems to be lack of inspiration and motivation amid people as many are forgoing the traditional new year celebrations of going out and partying,” said DS Rawat, secretary general, ASSOCHAM.
About 700 of those surveyed said they have no plans to go out for parties at hotels, clubs, pubs and other such places arranging special events on the new year’s eve and majority (about 60 per cent) of these comprised women, many of whom had cited security related apprehensions as the main reason as to why they prefer staying at home.
Surprisingly, restaurateurs too feel that people should go for house parties and celebrate indoors instead of coming to commercial venues. Priyank Sukhija, owner of Flying Saucer said, “I don’t blame people for not coming to our restaurants and partying. It is natural that on new year they will want to party till the wee hours, but clubs and bars shut down by 12.30 am. So we are in this situation where we can’t do anything.”
However, it is not like there is no party this new year. Most people are either organising parties at their homes or going to others. Pranay Malhotra, advertising professional, has been organising new year parties for the last two years and feels that they are always a safer bet. He shared, “You don’t end up spending crazy amount of money and going to a crowded place where you don’t even talk. In a house party you are with people you know and trust. As far as staying at home is concerned, nobody likes to do that on a new year, which is why house parties are emerging.”
Resha Jain, a career consultant, too, thinks that going for house parties is much more fun. “New year parties are very overrated. There are many rowdy people when we go out. There are incidents where people get drunk and they don’t know where to draw the line. So I prefer to sit at home with people I like. Parties can happen throughout the year so why spoil your new year by being with people whom you don’t even know,” she said.
Hooliganism, eve teasing and rapes are some of the most common reasons cited by people as a threat to their security on New Year’s Eve. Nikita Khattar from Bora Bora said, “Girls are scared to get out because Delhi is unsafe and no one can deny that. We have witnessed in the past few years that rapes and eve teasing are common on new year’s eve. That’s why it’s more convenient to be at home.”
Radhika Suri, a Delhi University student added, “We all want to go out and party, but new year parties give rise to hooliganism on the roads. Also, there may not be sufficient police patrol vehicles to cover all routes.” For the second time in a row, Delhi roads are expected to not resonate with festive cheer and the streets of markets like Hauz Khas Village and Khan Market will go numb after midnight.
Priyank feels that strict check on drunken driving and barricading also prevents people from getting out of their homes now. also keeps people at home. “No one wants to face jams or a situation where they will have to argue with the cops,” he said.